Igniter for gas burners



y ,1937. o. J. LEINS 2,080,141

' IGNITER FOR GAS BURNERS Filed June 22, 1931 K Patented May 11, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,0801141 I IGNITER FOR GAS BURNEBS Oscar J. Leins, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to'Milwaukee Gas Specialty Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 22, 1931, Serial No. 545,901

6 Claims. (01. 158-115) This invention relates to igniters for gas burners and may be characterized as an improvement upon the subject matter illustrated and described in my copending applications Serial No. 448,603, filed April 30, 1930, and Serial No. 471,180, filed July 28-, 1930.

The present invention has to do with means for guarding against the escape of unburned gas from the burner in the event that the flame is quenched by liquid boiling over the sides of a vessel placed over the ,burner, and relates particularly to improvements in the means for auto matically reigniting the gas issuing from the burner in cases where the flame is extinguished as above pointed out.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an arrangement embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary'side elevational view partially in section and taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a modified torch head or automatic reigniter arrangement;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 showing the invention embodied in connection with a flash type of lighter; and

Figure 5 is afragmentary view of a modified form of conduit for positioning over the torch head.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the usual gas manifold is illustrated at 5,'and the gas burner is illustrated at 6, this burner being fed from the manifold 5 by the usual feed pipe I, to which air is admitted, in the usual way, at the end nearest the manifold. Gaseous fuel is fed into the pipe I by way of the nozzle pipe 8, from manifold 5, and the nozzle pipe 8 is provided with the usual gas cook 9.

, The lighter designated generally at I0, is provided in appropriate proximity to the burner 6. Per se' the lighter shown forms no part of the present invention, and it will therefore sufllce, for the purpose of this description, to say that it comprises a tube I l leading from the manifold 5 and terminating at its outer upturned end in a torch head l2 an appropriate distance from the burner 6. One burner is shown, but it is to be understood that gas ranges embody a number of burners, usually four, and that the torch head I! may be disposed centrally between the burners. The torch head i2 is provided with a protecting hood l3 mounted thereover, and this hood has four openings i 4, M in the circular side wall, each in line with the respective burner on the range. A tube i5 leads from each opening it toward the respective burner, as illustrated, each of these tubes having a longitudinal slot 16 along the bottom for the entry of air. In the illustrated embodiment the outer end of each tube I 5 overlies, in use, anintegral foot extension IS on the burner 6, and in order to permit cleaning and removal of the burners the tubes i5 are formed of supplementary inner and outer tube 'hood l3, and the outer tube sections l5b are hinged at 20 to the tube sections lie to be swung up out of and down into alignment with the tubes I511.

The torch head l2 has pilot flame openings 2i directed through the tubes l5 towards the respective burners 6, and in this embodiment the tube II is connected with the. manifold 5 by a coupling 22. The coupling 22 has a constant bypass, adjustable by the valve screw 23, by which arrangement a constant pilot light is maintained at the openings 2|. ment the lighter is of the gravity'type, but it is to be understood that it may be of the "flash" type, as will hereinafter appear.

Extending from each burner 6 toward the respective adjacent tube i5 is a foot extension l8 formed integral with the respective adjacent burner and in open communication with the interior of the burner at 25. The top of each foot extension I8 is oflfset downwardly at 26 to underlie the outer end of the respective adjacent tube l5, and the top of this downwardly-offset portion of the foot extension carries the torch head 21 which extends upwardly into the respective tube l5, as illustrated. The torch head 2'! has a hexagonal or other suitable tool receiving portion 28 and a depending nipple 29 threaded into the top of the foot extension It. A port 30 opens In this particular embodiupwardly through the nipple part of the torch head and within the tube IS. the torch head has a pair of diametrically opposite ports 3i and 32, one directed toward the pilot flame at the ports 2| of the torch head l2, and the other directed toward the burner openings 33 in the top of the burner 6. In this particular embodiment when a bumer 6 is to be ignited, the cock 9 associated with that burner is opened and gas enters the burner ready to be ignited at the burner openings 33. Gas also passes freely into the foot extension l8 and to the torch head 21, issuing therefrom in both directions, one stream of gas Irom the port 3| toward and to the pilot flame at the ports 2i and the other stream of gas through the port 32 toward and over the burner. The-gas issuing from the torch head 21 toward the pilot torch head I! is ignited by the pilot flame at the torch head l2 and the flame is conveyed back to the torch head and to the stream of gas issuing from the port 32, thus causing a flame to be projected over the burner G to ignite the gas issuing from the burner openings 33. The ports 3i and 32 in Figure 2 are shown as being disposed substantially coplanar with the ports 33 of the burner, so that a lighting flame projected from the port 32 will pass over the burner ports 33 in proximity thereto, to assure positive ignition of the burner. The gas issuing from the torch head 21 remains ignited so long as the gas cock 9 is open, and it will be clear that the initial projection of the flame from the torch head is due to the initial rush of gas into the burner 6 and before the pressure thereof is relieved by the issuance of gas through the burner openings 33. By the time the pressure is thus relieved, the gas issuing from the burner openings 33,. or enough of them to light the others, is ignited and the flame atthe torch head 21 then subsides to appropriate pilot proportions.

In the event that liquid, boiling over the sides of a vessel disposed over the burner, falls upon the burner and quenches the flame thereof, it does so by closing of the burner openings by the liquid and this closing of these openings increases the pressure within the burner. This increase in pressure causes the projection of the flame from the port32 over the burner and when the filled burner openings become cleared by the evaporation of the liquid therein, the gas issuing therefrom is ignited by this temporarily projected flame. As such reignition takes place, the gas pressure within the burner is obviously gradually restored and, accordingly, the flame at 32 gradually recedes to resume appropriate pilot proportions. It is to be noted that the torch head 21 is protected by the tube 15 against quenching.

In the embodiment of Figure 3 the burner 6' instead of being provided with an integral foot extension as before, is provided with an elbow 36 threaded at 31 into the outer end or outer periphery of the burner and in communication with the interior thereof. The opposite end of the elbow 36 is vertically disposed and the nipple 29' of the torch head 21 is threaded into this end of the elbow 36. This elbow arrangement enables use of substantially the same torch head proper as is illustrated in Figure 2, and the operation is substantially the same as described in connection with the preceding embodiment. It should be noted, however, that the ports 3| and 32' in this embodiment are disposed slightly below the plane of the burner ports 33, since certain types of fuel gases are extremely buoyant and the flame issuing from a laterally extending port tends to rise. By disposing the ports in this position, the flame will pass directly over the burner ports, even if the outer portion thereof does rise slightly, thus insuring positive ignition of the burner.

The embodiment of Figure 4 is substantially the same as the embodiment of Figure 2 except that the torch head 27a is provided only with the port 320. directed toward the burner 6a. This is the flash type of igniter, in which the lighting flame from the torch head of the lighter is conveyed by a flash valve or the like, which may be provided at the coupling between the tube ll and the manifold 5. The automatic reignition of the burner from the torch head 21a is obtained by projection of the flame from the port 32a substantially as in the preceding embodiment.

Inthe modification illustrated in Figure 5. a conduit or outer tube section is indicated at 43. This tube section 40 is adapted to flt over the torch head Al in a manner similar to that described with reference to Figure 2. The portion of the tube section immediately above the torch head M is cutout as indicated at 42 and a ventilating dome is positioned over this cutout portion. The dome 43 has a projecting flange 44 formed at its lower surface which may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the tube section "cise details illustrated and described.-

I claim:

1. In combination, a gas burner, a pilot torch head, a hood over said torch head, a port in said torch head directed toward said burner, said hood having an opening in line with said port, a tube extending from said hood from the opening therein toward said burner, a foot extension formed integral with the burner and offset downwardly to underlie the adjacent end of said tube and a second torch head mounted upon the top of the downwardly offset portion of said foot extension and terminating in said tube, said second torch head having port means and the foot extension on the burner being in open communication with the interior of the burner for supplying gas to'said last port means at a pressure varying with the pressure within the burner.

2. In combination, a gas burner, a pilot torch head, a hood over said torch head, a port in said torch head directed toward said burner, said hood having an opening in line with said port, a tube extending from said hood from the open ing therein toward said burner, a foot extension formed integral with the burner and offset downwardly beneath the top of said burner to underlie the adjacent end of said tube and a second torch head mounted upon the top of the downwardly offset portion of said foot extension and terminating in said tube, said second torch head having port means and the foot extension on the burner being in open communication with the interior of the burner for supplying gas to said last port means at a pressure varying with the pressure within the burner, said second torch head having a depending nipple opening into the top of the foot extension.

3. In combination, a gas burner having an integral lateral extension in the side wall thereof. said extension being disposed below the top plane of said burner, and a torch head having laterally opposed ports coplanar with the top of said burner mounted in the top of said extension and communicating through said extension with the interior of said burner.

4. In combination, a gas burner, a laterally spaced pilot torch head for maintaining a pilot flame, a tube supported entirely at said torch head and extending toward said burner, a lateral extension on said burner having the top thereof offset downwardly below the top of said burner and extending under said tube, and a second torch head carried on the top of said extension beneath 5 said tube and fed from said burner, said second torch head having opposed ports within said tube directed toward said pilot flame and toward said burner.

5. In combination, a gas burner, a lighter tube 10 including a torch head spaced laterally of said burner for maintaining a pilot flame, an extension on said burner extending laterally thereof toward said torch head and having its top offset downwardly below the top of said burner, a relay pilot 5 means on said extension having an upwardly extending head portion provided with communicating ports directed toward said burner and toward said torch head, said pilot means being fed from said burner, and a tube open along its bot- 20 tom and extending between said torch head and said extension, said tube having an enlarged opening in its bottom over said extension to receive therein the head portion of said relay pilot means and having an open end directed toward said burner. 15

6. A gas burner of the class described comprising a burner portion and an integral feeder tube portion, a plurality of burner ports in the upper surface of said burner portion, an integral ofiset lateral extension on one side of said burner por- 10 tion and having its top surface disposed below the plane of the top surface of said burner portion, said extension having free communication with the interior of said burner portion and being closed about its lateral surfaces, and a vertically l5 directed port in the top surface of said extension providing for passage of fuel from the interior of said burner portion outwardly therethrough.

OSCAR J. LEINS. 20 

